


Pale Blue Eyes

by Hotalando



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Humor, Childhood Friends, Friendship/Love, Loss, M/M, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2017-12-14 02:20:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/831594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotalando/pseuds/Hotalando
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoro was living a perfect life until one day the ghosts of his past come back at him in the form of his old childhood friend and teenage crush. After all that's happened between them, will they be able to become friends again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_An unexpected kick in the head and he fell face down into the muddy ground. Deserved, there were surely a few things he shouldn’t have said during the past few hours. Grumpily he propped himself up on his palms, his eyes squeezed shut to keep the mud out of his eyes while he was moving up into a sitting position. There was laughter at his left, it rang in his ears like his alarm clock and only added up to his mood. He tried to wipe the dirt off his face but he only seemed to spread it more over his eyelids that he didn’t dare to open. Stupid blondie and his kicks, he should learn to sense them coming so he could dodge them in the future._

_The laughter died down when he sighed in despair, unsure what to do about his dirty face. He could feel that his whole shirt was covered in mud, so wiping his face with his sleeve was no option either. “Idiot, you’re making it worse. Lemme do it.” His friend’s voice came closer to his ears, still carrying amusement in its undertone but it felt soothing nonetheless. Something soft and dry touched his eyelids and the sticky cold mud was wiped off his skin in smooth but efficient strokes, making him able to open his eyes without trouble. Into his vision came the face of his best friend, his soaked blonde hair clutching his face, his pale blue eyes shining like the sky in summer and his rosy lips curled up into a smile. For him, this face meant sunshine even in the darkest and rainiest hours of the day._

_“Your clothes are all dirty! Your dad will be soooo mad at you!” the blonde boy giggled and straightened up again. He was safe in his blue raincoat; it protected his clothes from getting wet and muddy altogether and was also warm and cozy. When he had arrived at the other boy’s doorstep, he had advised him to put on boots and raincoat as well but the stupid marimo had known it all better and insisted on going in just his jeans and sweatshirt._

_His smile was replaced with a deep frown. He had a point there, his father would scold him for ruining his clothes and he would end up doing his big sister’s chores as well. “Because you had to shove me!” he defended himself with pride but the sound of his voice couldn’t hide the tears welling up in his eyes. If he was lucky, he would just get grounded for one week._

_The blonde boy cocked his head to the side and put things together in his head. With Zoro’s clothes ruined, the boy would get twice as much chores to do at home and possibly be grounded for the next few days, meaning they couldn’t play together. “Oh no, I got us both into trouble, right?” he sighed and hung his head low._

_“It’s okay,” Zoro shook his head; he hated to see his best friend sad like this. “The clothes are old anyway. And you can still say that we need to study for school.”_

_“We did that last time.” The idea didn’t make him feel much better about it. “I tell your dad that I shoved you that way you won’t get into trouble.”_

_“But then you’ll get into trouble,” Zoro said as he stood up and cleaned in his hands on the hanky Sanji was handing him. The mud didn’t go off his clothes though, all the wiping did was working it deeper into the already damp fabric. Thanks to the rain his clothes were soaking wet anyway, they stuck to his body like a second skin and along with the cold wind blowing he was freezing to the bone._

_“Let’s go home. You need a bath and something dry to put on.” Smiling warmly, Sanji took his friend’s hand as they set off to their homes. They would figured something out spontaneously he hoped, even though he was still aiming for taking the blame himself._

+++

Releasing a heavy sigh, he parted his eyes from the framed photograph sitting on his desk. He settled his concentration back onto the stack of paper he was working on and that would be due to tomorrow. Even though he could take his work home, he knew he wouldn’t get to work anyway and so he usually tried to fit such tasks into the few free hours he had during the week. Those free hours were rare, they were missing half of the teachers staff which made him the teacher of five classes at once in three different subjects. Additionally he was one of the three tutors of the juniors who were currently in internships for six weeks and much to his misfortune, the students he was assigned to were quite troublesome.

At the end of the day he couldn’t say he hated his job. He had graduated over a year ago and was now in his second year at this high school, teaching physics, math and PE. The students were overall great, some of them were troublemakers but nothing he couldn’t handle. His colleagues were nice as well, he was friends with two of them and he could also count the principal to that list. The whole atmosphere in this school made up for the tons of work he had to endure and the little time he had left for his boyfriend and social life. 

Knocking on the door interrupted his train of thoughts on the test he was currently working through, he put his glasses down and called to the person to come in. The door opened immediately and one of his students burst into the classroom, then turned towards someone outside in the corridor whom he was obviously trying get to step inside as well. When the person didn’t walk, the boy sighed and turned towards his teacher. 

“Zoro, Chopper’s unhappy with his internship,” the boy spoke casually, holding the door open for his friend. The other boy was hesitant to enter, he had been talked into coming here and still wasn’t sure if it had been the right thing to do. 

Sighing heavily, the teacher brushed through his short greenish hair and closed his eyes for a moment. “Luffy, how many times have I told you not to call me by my first name in school?” He knew it was useless to ask, the boy would never learn to separate school from their private life. Putting the test and pen aside, he got up from his chair and walked around his desk, hopped onto it and looked at the other boy in the doorway. His name was Chopper, he was in all his classes and despite being a junior, friends with Luffy who was already in his last year of high school. “What’s the problem you’re having, Chopper?”

The boy looked from his friend to his tutor and back, unsure if he should really come clean or not. But Luffy had been so caring and insisted on him talking to his teacher and he didn’t want to let him down. He tugged his dark blonde hair behind his ear, entered the classroom so Luffy could close the door and quietly started to talk. “I really like my internship and I want to continue but there’s this cook and he’s...,” he paused to search for the perfect word to describe the man’s personality without sounding rude. 

“Oh hang on, you’re...” Zoro turned around towards his folder for the internships and quickly flipped through the files. “Ah, you got that spot at the Baratie. I know most of the cooks and waiters there and I thought you would have a good time. So what’s the matter?”

“I like it there! My boss is a fine man and he’s very nice and everyone else is too!” Chopper rambled, feeling his confidence fading away again. “It’s just... just... there’s this man, he started working there again two days ago and he’s the sous-chef and he... I have to work with him now and he yells at me for everything and makes me scrub the floor all the time... all I get to do is cleaning.”

Zoro’s facial expression grew darker the longer he listened to the student’s words. He knew who that person was, and he knew he didn’t like where this was leading. “I guess I know who,” he grumbled and slid off his desk, making the young student flinch back a bit. “Thanks for bringing him here, Luffy. We’re heading over right away and I’ll have a talk with your boss, Chopper.” 

“See, I told you, Zoro’s gonna fix it!” Luffy beamed at his friend and hugged him tightly, then turned back to the teacher packing his bag. “You gonna pick me up from school later? Bro’s working late again.” 

“Yes, I know. He does talk to me about such things,” Zoro shot back, he couldn’t ignore the feeling that Luffy enjoyed to show off that his big brother and he were a couple. “I’ll try to be there on time, just wait outside as usual.”

“Ay, ay!” The raven boy waved at him one last time and left the room in a jog, leaving the teacher and other student alone. 

Uncomfortable silence settled between them, the shuffling and shifting of Zoro packing his bag and cleaning his desk was the only noise filling the room. The boy standing at the door didn’t move an inch from his spot, his head was hung low as he watched his tutor through his bangs, unsure if he was supposed to say something. They remained silent though, all the way from the classroom to the parking lot, and only stopped at the staff room so Zoro could excuse himself and his student from class for the rest of the day. The encouraging and soft smiles Zoro was offering the teen didn’t really work their magic and so he decided to break the silence between them as soon as they were sitting in his car and driving to the restaurant. 

Judging from his posture, the young student was ashamed to have mentioned his trouble with his workplace. Zoro had already noticed that sort of behavior during the classes and he usually tried to make the boy feel better about himself but it never really worked. Chopper was very insecure about himself and pretty much used all his energy on not causing any trouble or inconveniences. He was so absorbed in keeping himself hidden in the shadows and out of any risky things that he forgot about himself and his interests. In sports, Zoro would label him as defensive player, inflexible and unable to be offensive when needed. But that was about to change. 

“It’s okay to talk to someone when you’re uncomfortable with something, Chopper. It’s courageous to walk up to someone and tell them what you’re feeling, even if it means to point out their mistakes. You need to learn to stand up for yourself, Luffy can’t always be there for you.” He quickly smiled at the teen on the passenger’s seat, it bothered him to have this conversation right now and not face-to-face but he wanted him to feel better before they’d reach the Baratie. 

“It was smart to come to me first though. We’ll have a talk with your boss about that new co-worker and from then on, you should be able to talk to your boss on your own in case that new person doesn’t stop mistreating you,” he continued, “The school and your boss agreed on certain terms before you started your internship and everyone at your workplace is supposed to live by those terms. If they don’t, you have to tell someone so we can fix this problem. It’s kind of breaking rules and that usually doesn’t go without consequences.”

“I know...,” Chopper nodded, kneading his hands in his lap, “I think that he doesn’t mean to mistreat me, sir. Whatever he tells me to do is something that has to be done and someone has to do it.” 

Luckily Zoro drove them to the restaurant’s parking lot without any trouble and stopped the car at his usual spot. He unbuckled himself, turned around to grab his bag from the backseat and then towards his student. “Of course, someone has to scrub the floor, and it’s definitely okay for you to do it but not all the time, Chopper. And it’s not okay to be yelled at all the time. That’s not what I agreed on with your boss.” 

They exited the car in silence and walked up to the front entrance next to each other. Before entering, Zoro made sure to smooth out any wrinkles of his dress jacket, brush the last crumbles of his breakfast off his black jeans and turned to his protégé one last time. The teen was pale and trembling from nervousness in contrast to the frown on his features, as if he was convincing himself that he would be fine. 

With a soft smile, Zoro ruffled his hair affectionately and said, “You will be fine. Whatever happens, don’t back down. Don’t let him take the upper-hand, you have every right to voice out your complaints about his treatment. You’re a good student and I haven’t heard anything contrary from your boss yet either. There’s really nothing to worry about, okay?” 

The expression of pure insecurity on the teen’s face was replaced by determination, he nodded with his head held up high and made his tutor smile even wider. Together they entered the restaurant, Chopper occasionally bumped into his side as he tried to stay as close to his teacher as possible. He had seen the new cook kicking one of the waiters into a wall just yesterday and had no intention of ending up on the same spot for bringing his tutor to this place. Part of him knew he would end up getting yelled at again anyway as soon as Mr. Roronoa would leave but he still hoped that his teacher could work something out for him. 

It was still very empty, only the usual guests were dining in their usual spots, most of them being businessmen from across the street on their lunch break. Zoro guided them straight towards the back, greeting some of the waiters on his way to the kitchen. He had always loved the way they welcomed him here, even after all those years, as if he was family to them. The same treatment was used for his boyfriend and said one’s little brother, even though latter’s manners usually brought them into trouble. Whenever Luffy was with them, they weren’t allowed to sit in the public area of the restaurant but had to dine on the little back porch, hidden from the diners’ eyes. 

As he reached the huge swinging doors towards the kitchen, Zoro bumped into Patty who was carrying a few plates and looked displeased about something. It took him a few seconds to really recognise Zoro, the smile on his lips growing in stages. “Zoro! Good to see you!” He bowed down instead of petting him on the shoulder and did the same to Chopper as well, “I see, you’re not here for food. Hey there, lil’ bud.”

“No, though I wouldn’t mind a plate of that delicious risotto you’re holding there,” Zoro chuckled politely and rested a hand on his student’s shoulder when the teen scooted closer, “Where can I find Zeff? There’s something your intern and I have to talk about with him.” 

The cheerful expression on the cook’s face grew darker in an instant and Zoro understood that the blue-haired man knew exactly what he meant. “I see... he’s not here. There’s a huge event over at the bank and he’s taking care of the catering. But you might want to talk to the devil himself instead... he’s out on the porch.” 

Zoro sighed, it was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. “Fine... thanks. Can you prepare some takeaway for me for dinner? I’ll get it once I’m done here. Just make whatever you feel like, you know what we like.” The cook nodded with a smile, happy to be entrusted with that order and set off to serve food in a better mood. 

Sighing again, Zoro brushed through his short green hair, thinking about what to do. They had to pull this through no matter what, he couldn’t let Chopper down now and have that arrogant idiot humiliate him further. Gently he pulled Chopper aside so they wouldn’t block the way to the kitchen and sat down with him at a table in the corner. The boy had become nervous again, his face was pale and his eyes slightly widened as if he was in panic. “Okay, we have two options and I leave the choice up to you. Either we’ll wait for your boss to return which could be in hours or we’ll talk to the responsible person face-to-face and confront them with your problem. Whatever you choose, I’m right there to help you and step in, okay? If we talk to him now, you’re done with that and you can be proud of yourself for being so self-confident and standing up for yourself. We can talk to your boss later on nonetheless,” Zoro offered in a soft voice. 

The boy nodded, his head hanging low and his shoulders dropped again but Zoro knew he was considering the two options. After some time of weighing out what would be the best, Chopper looked up to his teacher with a determined expression adorning his features and said, “I want to do it now.” 

“That’s the spirit!” Zoro smiled broadly at him and ruffled his hair again. He laughed when Chopper glared at him and straightened his messed up hair again, it just reminded him too much of his boyfriend. Side by side they walked back towards the heavy doors leading to the kitchen and stepped into the chaotic room of steam, smell of food and cooks rushing from one side to the other. They were both too familiar with the scenery as to be intimidated by it and worked their way through the counters and cooks towards the next door leading to a corridor. It lead to several other rooms as well to a second floor and to the little back porch on which he and the brothers usually ate together. The sliding doors were open, revealing the back of a suited man leaning over the balustrade just a few steps away from them. It made Zoro feel slightly uneasy himself, in a matter of seconds he felt a dozen of different emotions crashing down on him but he forced himself to push them aside for now; he could still sort them out later. This was about Chopper and not him, he had to be strong for his protégé now. 

When they reached the porch, the teen couldn’t help but hide a little behind his tutor when said one knocked on the doorframe to announce their arrival. The blonde man turned around wearing an expression of confusion and surprise, a swift spring breeze blew through the bangs covering half of his face as he looked his visitors over. His gaze moved from their intern to the larger man next to him, obviously the protector of the little boy judging from the way he hid behind him. A little triumphant smirk crawled onto his lips at the sight of their intern, he’d probably whined about the hard work at the restaurant and brought his brother to help him sort this out. Turning his gaze away again, he took a few drags of his cigarette and waited for the larger man to speak up, he hadn’t really paid much attention to him yet, the sight of the scared out kid was just pleasantly amusing.

“I heard you’re disregarding the terms of the internship contract and are mistreating my student.” Zoro kept his voice steady and calm, it was hard to not jump at the other man’s throat. 

The blond turned to look at him in surprise, his eyes wide for a moment in which his mind comprehended the sight in front of him. But the green hair, the thin lips and those almost golden eyes only belonged to one person he had ever known, there was no doubt about it. “You? What are you doing here?” 

“Don’t change the subject. Is there anything you have to say about the way you're treating my student?” Zoro glared at him through his glasses, luckily unnoticed by Chopper. 

“Oh, did he cry about it? I knew he was a spoiled little brat. I don’t get how the old geezer can put up with a piece of shit like him.” Sanji laughed arrogantly and took another drag from his cigarette. 

If it weren’t for the teen watching them and clinging onto his pants leg, Zoro would be punching some common sense into the other man. Instead he forced himself to stay calm and spoke in a firm voice, pressing each word. “I dare you to use that kind of foul language in front of my students.” 

“And do what? Threaten me with detention? Look at you... teacher, huh? Doesn’t suit you at all.” Sanji tilted his head back to release some of the smoke and suck at the butt again. He had heard about his old friend’s new profession from his father but didn’t want to believe it at all. Though, thinking about it, he had always been prude and fancied a boring lifestyle. 

“How dare you to talk bad about Mr. Roronoa! He’s the best teacher at our school!” Chopper had finally found the courage to step in front of his tutor and defend him, the insulting words of his second boss had provoked him to speak up. The sous-chef’s head turned towards him, eyes narrowed at the high schooler, waiting for him to continue. “He’s the funniest and nicest teacher I’ve ever had. There’s no one at our school who doesn’t like him and I am happy to be his student.” 

The young student’s words made Zoro smile and well up with pride. He had obviously gotten through to the boy and inspired him so much that he had found the courage to disagree with the one person he feared. Not to mention the surprised look on Sanji’s face, he hadn’t expected anything like that to happen and quickly grew annoyed by the embarrassment. 

Straightening up, Sanji ditched his cigarette in the ashtray and turned to glare at the intern. “You’ll regret that. Kids have no permission to talk when adults are in a conversation.”

Zoro folded his arms in front of his chest. “He’s not a kid anymore and besides, this is his conversation, not mine. He’s free to talk and say whatever is on his mind.”

“Oh, is that so? Then let’s see if the crybaby has the balls to tell me what he’s upset about!” Sanji settled on glaring the boy down, partly to prove his point that the kid wasn’t self-confident enough to stand his own ground. 

Feeling intimidated by the blond’s stare, Chopper stepped back a bit but didn’t allow himself to look away. He had to stand up for himself, now or never. “I... I’m no kid and I’m not spoiled. I-I don’t mind help cleaning but... before I didn’t have to do it all alone. I don’t like how you talk to me and I don’t like being yelled at, sir.”

“Oh geez, they really spoiled you,” Sanji shook his head in disbelief, “See, you’re not getting anywhere with that sort of treatment. Life doesn’t offer you your favorite jobs on a silver plate. And what do you think am I supposed to do, I can’t have the other cooks clean the floor because you know why? THEY’RE COOKS, NOT CLEANERS! YOU want to work here? Then you have to put up with the fact that you’re just some little intern who’s only good for cleaning. Oh wait... you are even too stupid for that!” 

“Hey, keep it down, Sanji!” Zoro frowned at him and stepped between him and his protégé. “I really have no idea what’s wrong with you and I really don’t want to know. But I suggest you let your temper out on someone else and not on Chopper who by the way is doing all he can to live up to the Baratie’s standards. He’s a remarkable student and I have been talking to everyone here over the past week to keep track on his development and no one so far has ever complained about him but you!” He rested a hand on Chopper’s shoulder and pushed him gently inside. “I will talk to Zeff about this tomorrow and we’ll figure something out. If you don’t change your behavior towards my student, I’ll have Chopper switch to another place and note down that we’re not sending any interns to this place ever again. It would be sad and surely creating some sort of bad reputation but you seem to be able to afford it.” 

They left the restaurant in silence again, each of them in their own little pool of thoughts. Patty had apologized for his sous-chef’s outburst and prepared a little lunch bag for the teen as well to cheer the boy up at least a little. When they reached Zoro’s car, he put the bags of his own dinner onto the back seat, trusting Patty’s skills to seal the food into cartons that would withstand his driving style, and turned to Chopper behind him. 

“You’re excused from school for the rest of the day. Want me to drive you home?” He knew the boy lived outside of town and usually had a long way home even though he was taking the bus. 

“I appreciate the offer, sir, but you’ve done enough for me for today,” the teen declined politely with an honest smile on his lips. 

“You’re too kind, Chopper,” Zoro chuckled and ruffled the dark blonde hair again, “Now get in, I’ll drive you home.”

+++

The TV was on, showing some ridiculous contest show, with two pairs of eyes glue to the screen while their owners blindly shovelled food into their mouths. Though this was the usual sight, Zoro found himself annoyed by it each time again; the stupid TV was running from the second on one of the brothers entered the room till the very last minute before bedtime. It wouldn’t be as annoying if they wouldn’t block out the world around them while they were sitting in front of it, and if it wouldn’t lead to Luffy ignoring his homework. He had given up on making him help around the house, Luffy had a talent for breaking everything he ever got into his hands and Zoro really had no intention of buying a new set of plates every other day. It was enough for him if the troublemaker would study for school and do his homework but that was wishful thinking as well.

Usually Zoro didn’t bother to start any conversation during meals, anything he could possibly say would be drowned out by the TV anyway and he wasn’t fond of wasting energy by talking to himself. He knew that his boyfriend was indeed interested in hearing him talk about his day but even he was so addicted to the stupid television that he never asked him about it either. 

Today though, Zoro couldn’t keep to himself what had happened earlier and he intently hoped it was interesting enough to earn his boyfriend’s attention. “You know I was at Zeff’s tod-”

“Oh, how did it go with Chopper?” Luffy interrupted him, that question had apparently burnt on his tongue but he had forgotten about it over the food and TV. 

Zoro glared at him for interrupting his speech but was relieved and grateful to have at least Luffy’s attention. His boyfriend’s head turned towards him as well, surprised that anyone but the showmaster was talking. “Luffy brought him to me today, that little guy has some serious problems at his workplace,” Zoro explained, “He’s an intern at the Baratie and he was doing good according to Zeff and everybody else but there’s someone disagreeing.” 

“I hope you kicked that guy’s ass!” Luffy’s face turned serious as he continued, “When Chopper told me what that guy makes him do and that he yells at him, I wanted to punch his face personally.”

“Trust me, I was close to do the same,” Zoro said, his expression darkening when the memories of his encounter with the sous-chef flashed up before his eyes, “But that would’ve brought us all into trouble.” 

“Who are you talking about?” Ace looked from his little brother to his boyfriend and back, the way they seemed to mentally kill someone made him feel a little uneasy. 

“Well, I took Chopper to the restaurant and wanted to talk to Zeff since he is Chopper’s boss and it’s against the rules of the contract that any intern gets yelled at, insulted or otherwise mistreated. Everyone there thinks that Chopper is a kind and dedicated guy, it’s just that certain person who started working there about two days ago. Since Zeff wasn’t there, I got to talk to that person myself and... guess who’s back in town.” Zoro leaned back in his chair next to Ace and watched him figuring out whom he could be referring to. 

It didn’t take the older man long though. “You mean... Sanji’s back? Wasn’t he like in England or whatever? I thought he never wanted to come back. I hoped he wouldn’t,” Ace grimaced disgustedly, oh how he couldn’t stand that narcissistic macho with his stupid eyebrows and his annoying pick up lines. 

“Me too, I thought I would never have to see him again. And now I have to deal with him at work, that’s even worse. I can’t punch that smug grin out of his face while I’m on duty,” Zoro growled and reached for his can of soda. “I bet you can guess how uncooperative he was when I confronted him with Chopper’s problems. He was so fucking indiscreetly, you should’ve seen how frightened that little guy was!” 

“So what will happen?” Luffy asked and popped the last bite of his burger into his mouth. 

“I’m going to talk to Zeff tomorrow, maybe he can rearrange Sanji’s shifts so that he doesn’t get to work with Chopper. I know for sure that Sanji won’t stop treating Chopper like shit so it’s better they don’t meet again,” Zoro answered calmly. 

“Did he say anything to you? I remember he gets personal very quickly,” Ace threw in, turning in his seat to have a better view on his boyfriend. 

“Yeah, he had this mocking tone again and said the job wouldn’t suit me. He wasn’t taking me seriously at all,” Zoro confirmed, “His choice of words was so inappropriate and unprofessional, not to mention his behavior. You don’t believe how hard it was to stay calm when all I wanted was to beat him all the back to England.”

“Oh geez, I would’ve helped out!” Ace laughed and nudged his lover’s shoulder. “You know I won’t be able to resist when I see him. That asshole deserves to get his scrawny ass kicked.” 

“I bet the old geezer does that already!” Luffy joined in his brother’s laughter, he knew too well what happened when you got on the chef’s nerves. From his big brother’s stories he also knew quite a lot about that Sanji-guy, especially what he had done to Zoro. 

“I hope so,” Zoro smirked, “I’ll make sure to choose my words wisely to give Zeff enough reasons to beat the shit out of Sanji.”

“Don’t forget to take a video for me.” Ace got up from his chair and leaned over to collect their plates, doing the dishes was his task today. He ruffled his lover’s hair and slapped his little brother in the neck before heading off into the kitchen to clean. 

Luffy threw his brother’s retreating back a ‘what was that for?’ look, dropped the subject quickly though and focused back on the TV. The show was over by now and some anime was on, not that Luffy was interested in it but that never matter to him, he would watch TV nonetheless. 

“Hey, don’t you have homework to do?” Zoro wasn’t Luffy’s teacher, thankfully, still he knew when the teenager had to do homework and after all, it was his responsibility to make him do it. 

“Hmm, yeah.” He didn’t move or even look at the older man though. 

“I hope you’re aware that Nami could easily find another boyfriend who doesn’t need to copy her homework each time,” Zoro remarked and took another sip from his soda. “Girls don’t like to do all the work, especially not someone like her.” 

“You mean she would go out with someone else?” Luffy stared at him in shock, still hoping his friend was only fooling him. 

“Sure. Someone who sees more in her than the homework to copy from,” Zoro said with a nod, “All you ever want from her is her homework, if I was her I would look for someone else.” 

The teen’s eyes widened even more while his brain worked out the possibility of his girlfriend breaking up with him. Just because he was too lazy to do his own homework. “I have stuff to do,” he mumbled and dashed out of the room. 

With an amused smile, Zoro leaned back in his chair and almost choked on his soda when he heard Ace calling for his brother but said one only yelled back, “No time! Have homework to do!” followed by a door falling shut. Why hadn’t he thought of that already? Though he was still quite surprised that it worked so well on Luffy, no matter how naïve and manipulative the boy was, above all, he was lazy.

“I told you not to use any of your psychological shit on my brother!” Ace burst into the room, a stern expression on his features while he was drying his hands on the dish towel. When his boyfriend only smirked at him, the raven-haired man chuckled and walked over to sit down next to him again, dropping the towel on the table. “No, seriously, what the fuck have you done?”

“Just told him to do his own homework and not use his girlfriend for that. Never thought that would work out,” Zoro smiled in triumph, “That should keep him focused for a while, I hope. He’s not a dumb kid, he’s just too lazy. But that’s family genes I assume.” 

“Hey, I help around the house and go to work, okay? And I’ve always done my homework, sir.” Ace shifted closer to his boyfriend, wrapped an arm around the younger man’s shoulders and husked into his ear, “I’ve always been a good boy, sir.” 

The way his breath tickled Zoro’s ear and the tone of his voice went straight to his crotch, however the words sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine. “Didn’t we agree on not using my teaching job for that?” Zoro let his own breath fan the other man’s neck to pay him back, he was really getting into the mood, just the topic was leading into the opposite direction. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Ace snickered and pushed his hand under his boyfriend’s hoodie, “I still gotta do the dishes, wanna help? The nag should be busy upstairs.” 

Feeling Ace’s calloused and rough hands brushing over his bare skin had always been an argument Zoro couldn’t beat, and having Luffy up in his room for once providing them a little bit of privacy was a chance he definitely didn’t want to pass on. And it usually only took Ace’s hands and lips on him to let him forget the events of the day.

+++

_“What happened to your clothes, Zoro?”_

_They both knew the question would come and all the way home they had been coming up with excuses that would prevent them both from getting into trouble. By the time they had reached Zoro’s house and his father had opened the door for them, they were as clueless about what to say as back on the playground._

_Zoro gathered all his courage, straightened up and looked into his father’s slowly growing impatient face, ready to take the blame and accept the consequences like a man. His father was never too strict with him; he had never been slapped or yelled at, his only punishments were doing twice as much chores around the house and getting grounded for latter meant that he couldn’t play with his best friend. And that was the worst kind of punishment for both of them._

_“I-I shoved him, sir,” Sanji burst out before Zoro could say anything. “I... we fought and he said something mean and so I... I kicked him.” His gaze was fixed on the little flower pot next to the door, he didn’t dare to look up into old swordsman’s face. He wasn’t really lying; they had really been fighting until he had snapped and kicked Zoro in the head, very well aware that the boy would fall into the mud and dirty himself._

_He felt his best friend elbow him in the side but Sanji just glared at him and shook his head; he wasn’t going to back down now. Putting on a determined expression, he looked back up into the dark-haired man’s face and said, “It’s not Zoro’s fault. I shouldn’t have shoved him because I knew he would slip and fall and get his clothes dirty.”_

_The older man held his gaze with a stern expression on his features, “You’re taking the blame for him?”_

_“No, you idiot,” Zoro hissed at Sanji and tugged at his coat’s sleeve as he leaned in closer to his ear, “Your papa will make you clean the dishes all day and then we won’t have time to play!” But his words didn’t have their desired effect, instead Sanji pulled his arm away and balled his hands into fists, always a sign that he was dead set about something._

_“Yes, sir.” His reply was short and steady, mirroring the look in his eyes. He would get into trouble at home for sure, his old man would kick him through the whole restaurant before he would be instructed to scrub the kitchen floor. The kinds of punishments he usually received were a lot more physical than Zoro’s who would usually just get grounded and forced to study or help around the house. Though the marimo got himself into trouble more often than Sanji so this time wouldn’t be too heavy on his record._

_“Good. I’m going to call your father and tell him to pick you up. Wait in the kitchen until he arrives. And you,” the adult said sternly, his arms folded in front of his chest as he turned to his adoptive son, “Get yourself clean and then help me outside in the garden.”_

_“Yes, sensei,” Zoro mumbled and got out of his shoes before stepping over the threshold into the house. His father waited for them to enter and say their goodbye’s, to make sure Sanji wouldn’t sneak away and wait in Zoro’s room. The two of them were very creative at finding ways to be together even when they were both grounded, their will to be together was just that strong._

_Before he climbed up the stairs, Zoro turned to his best friend again to say a proper goodbye. Their time spent together would be reduced to phone calls the upcoming days and Zoro was already sure that he would be missing his friend too much. The blonde’s hair was curtaining his face, he was ashamed of what he had done and felt guilty for the trouble he had gotten his friend into but Zoro could never be angry at him for too long. So he stepped closer and brushed the hair out of his friend’s face to look him in the eyes with a smile and whisper, “Don’t forget to call me later.” He stood on his toes to kiss the other boy on the top of his head and hugged him one last time before they parted ways._


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Zoro drove to the Baratie alone. He wanted to talk to Zeff before the restaurant would open for the public, unfortunately that was when Chopper had an important test. It was better that way anyway, Zoro figured, they would for sure talk to Sanji again as well and he didn’t want the situation to escalate. With just Zeff, it wouldn’t matter that much if he’d snap and used his fists instead of words, although he planned on trying to be calm and grown-up. He wanted to prove a point to Sanji and by being professional instead of getting personal, he could maintain the emotional distance between them. To get into that idiot’s head that he would never again, in any way, be a part of his present or future life.

When he parked his car in the usual spot, he noticed a lone figure leaned against one of the pillars by the entrance. Zoro couldn’t help but blaming Karma, who else would make him bump into that shithead before he really had to? After hitting his head against the back of the seat several times, he grabbed his bag and exited the car to walk over to the restaurant’s entrance. He tried to appear self-confident as best as he could but his damn hoodie was rubbing over the still sensitive marks Ace had gifted him with last night. But he tried not to make it show.

They were only a foot apart when Sanji looked up and recognized him, a smirk settled on his lips. “Ditching class, Mr. Prick?” He turned his head away again and sucked on his cigarette, his long blonde bangs covering most of his features.

Zoro balled his fists, ready to punch the bastard’s face in but the voice of his conscience, reminding him that he was still on duty, held him back. “Is your father here?”

“Not even going to defend yourself? Tch,” Sanji mocked, the smirk on his lips growing wider, “He’s in the kitchen.” When there was no response, just the sound of someone trying to open a closed door, Sanji snickered, dropped his cigarette and stomped it out with his foot. “Door’s locked, moron. Let me help you.” He walked over to the other man, rummaged in his pockets for the keys although he knew where he had them, and made sure to bump their shoulders together as much as possible. Either it would annoy the younger man or improve the tensed relationship between them and even though Sanji would be fine with any reaction he would get out of Zoro, he intently hoped for the latter.

When the door was open, Zoro didn’t hesitate to rush inside and go straight to the kitchen. What Sanji had attempted to achieve by bumping their shoulders together was too obvious and it was freaking him out. What was that idiot even thinking? Zoro shook his head mentally and decided to ignore the blond as best as he could. Once things were settled with Chopper and his internship, he wouldn’t have to deal with Sanji anymore anyway.

Steam lingered in the kitchen, along with the scent of food and the sounds of cooking filled the entire room. Directions were yelled, orders given, jokes made and Zoro couldn’t help but realize how much of a happier place the Baratie was when Sanji wasn’t around. During the past five years their sous-chef had been overseas, Zoro had not once seen the cooks of the Baratie in a serious fight with each other, or even in a bad mood like Patty had been yesterday. It was all Sanji’s fault, the atmosphere in the restaurant and their terrible relationship.

“Zoro! You’re quite early, we’re not even open yet,” Patty greeted him with a huge smile. A few others turned their heads towards him as well and offered him smiles before resuming their work.

Feeling much better now, Zoro walked over to Patty and wrapped his arm around the cook’s shoulders to greet him with a quick hug. “I know, I know. I’m here to talk to your boss,” he said and clapped him on the back.

The blue-haired man nodded and turned around, his voice loud and clear when he bellowed, “Oi, boss, Zoro’s here!”

A knife was dropped somewhere across the room and soon an old man emerged from the back of the kitchen, his long braided beard swinging up and down with each step that he limped closer to them. The frown on his features softened when he saw Zoro, as usual, and a smile took over his face. “It’s almost an indignity that you haven’t come for food, son,” he chuckled at the young man, then nodded towards the door leading to the back of the restaurant, “Let’s talk in my office.”

Together they left the steamy kitchen, entered the little corridor and walked over to the door across the kitchen. Zeff opened the door to let Zoro in, turned towards the stairs and yelled, “Hey, brat, get your sorry ass in my office!” and threw the door shut behind himself. He took a seat behind his large crammed desk, grabbed the bottle of liqueur and fixed himself a drink. “Where’s the intern?”

“He’s in school, couldn’t bring him along. He’s in the middle of an important test right now and I didn’t want to bother you later during the opening hours.” Zoro sat in a chair opposite of Zeff, watching the man gulping down the drink with a frown. “And I thought you were done with that stuff.”

“I was, until that brat came back,” Zeff growled but refrained from filling another glass. “I thought that school in England would get him back on track but he’s even worse now. At least his cooking skills are worth the money sending him there. He’s finally outdoing his old man.”

“I still can’t believe you granted him that wish after all that’s happened,” Zoro shook his head with a small smile, “I know that a good education for him is better for the business but you also rewarded him with it. I think that messed with his brain even more. Or whatever he’s got left of it.”

“I know and believe me, I’m beating myself up for it. But whatever he’s done, he’s still my son. And I can live with my decision to have paid for that school. You of all people should understand how important education is,” Zeff grinned.

Zoro chuckled, he didn’t know how to beat that. “I do. And you know that I’ve always wanted him to achieve his dreams... I just think that having reached his goal made him even more arrogant and narcissistic. Not to mention what he’s putting you through.” Seeing Zeff picking up his old drinking habits that he had just conquered made Zoro want to kick Sanji’s ass even more.

“Not everyone is blessed with a son like you. I know your father would be in a worse state without you now. We were both scared you would lose yourself and your dreams after your sister’s death but look what you’ve become, she would be proud of you.” A smile settled on the old cook’s lips when the young man in front of him started to blush, he had never been good at taking compliments. “And now you’re even worrying about an old man like me when you have enough shit on your own plate.”

“Someone has to, right?” For Zoro it was a matter of course to care about and for the people close to him, it was a way of protecting them and that was an ideal his father had taught him very early.

Both of them jumped when the door flew open suddenly and Sanji stepped into the room, kicking the door shut with his foot. He slumped down in the chair next to Zoro, crossed his legs and flipped his cigarette making the ash trickle to the floor, he didn’t even bother to reach for the ashtray that was set on the desk only inches away.

“What’s the matter? Am I getting my ass kicked ‘cause of that little whiny kid or what?” He didn’t even try to hide his lack of interest in the whole matter, nor did he look at his father while talking.

“Do you even get what you make me look like? Do you get that we have to maintain a reputation here?” Zeff hissed at his son who just rolled his eyes at him in annoyance. “That kid is a good one, he’s a great help in the kitchen and the restaurant. He’s our intern and not your punching ball!” The chef slammed his fist into the desk, obviously in rage by his son’s indifferent behavior. “Can you for ONCE act your age? Didn’t they teach you what appropriate treatment means? That kid will tell his parents, his friends about you and soon enough it’s spreading around town and we will never be able to hire new employees!”

“Oh come on, that kid’s too much of a pussy to tell anyone. Only shithead here knows and he’ll keep his mouth shut,” Sanji countered back firmly.

“He told his friends already.” Zoro threw in although he had originally planned on keeping it secret from Zeff. “That’s how I know. And I told you yesterday already that I am supposed to report your behavior to the school. Keeping my mouth shut could cost me my job, actually.” It wouldn’t but Sanji didn’t have to know.

“Then that kid better keeps his mouth shut as well if he wants his favorite teacher to keep his job,” Sanji scoffed and took another drag from his cigarette.

Just one more and Zoro would snap, there was so much anger and frustration boiled up inside of him that he hadn’t been able to get rid of yet. But he wouldn’t get so low, and so he took a deep breath and released it slowly before speaking again. “Would it be possible if you change your sous-chef’s shifts so that he and Chopper wouldn’t have to work together? I don’t see another alternative.”

Zeff shook his head and poured himself another drink. “Fine, tell the kid that I’m sorry for what happened the last days. I’ll make sure the brat will never cross ways with him again.”

“Tch, whatever. I’m outta here.” Sanji rose to his feet and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, the other hand buried in his pants pocket. It was obvious how he was enjoying their eyes on him, his whole body was almost vibrating with self-confidence and it only made Zoro loathe him more. The high school teacher just wanted to drop a mocking comment when Sanji suddenly reached out and snatched the bottle of liqueur out of his father’s hand, a stern look on his face when he said firmly, “Stop that shit. You know exactly what the doc said.”

“She talks too much.” Zeff tried to look annoyed for Sanji’s attempt at chaperoning him but the fact that his son of all people seemed to care that much made him smile a little.

“You should learn to listen, old geezer,” Sanji growled and turned on his heel, swaying the bottle between his fingers as he walked, “This is confiscated.”

The door fell shut behind the blonde cook, leaving Zoro speechless for a moment. Had Sanji just shown that he still cared? It looked a lot like the Sanji he had used to know, the one he had used to be friends with years ago. Almost motherly caring about everyone but covering it up with mockery. But he hadn’t seen that side of Sanji in all those years, why would he behave like his child-self again, all of a sudden?

“Think whatever you want but there’s still him under all these fancy clothes and arrogance,” Zeff sighed and shifted in his seat to rest his bad leg on a stool, “The first thing he did when he came back was asking me about you. What you do, where you live, if you’re still training at the dojo... he was almost out and about to pay you a visit until I told him you were taken.”

“You think that’s why he’s so bitter? Tz, what is he thinking, that I forgive him so easily? I thought he was smarter than that.” Zoro shook his head; that idiot couldn’t seriously be thinking that the past ten years could be forgotten just like that, could he?

The old chef chuckled at Zoro’s words; they were both still the same. “I know him enough to tell you that he’s very aware of his mistakes. But he’s a naive kid and he probably thought you would grant him at least one last chance to fix your relationship.”

“He’s really stupid. I’m done with him once and for all, I thought I made myself clear enough,” Zoro sighed with a frown, if that idiot was really that naive, he would surely not give up on their friendship so quickly.

“He will give you hell about it. He’ll try to get back what he thinks is still his, no matter how stupid and ridiculous it would make him look. You know him better than I do, he’s terrible at losing and won’t back down until he’s got his hands on the grand prize.” They looked at each other, knowing well that there was a lot more to come. Sanji would try everything to force himself back into Zoro’s life, disregarding the consequences for them and the people around them. “I think it’s the best you talk to him and settle things peacefully before he does anything stupid. I don’t care if you’ll give him another chance or not but stop this shit before anyone gets hurt.”

“Fine,” Zoro nodded and got up, he really had no mind to continue this conversation anyway, “I’ll talk to him. No guarantee though that I leave him unharmed.”

  
  
  


Zoro found him smoking on the porch again, arms rested on the balustrade and his eyes fixed on the ground before him. Even after all those years of hating each other, Zoro knew just from seeing his posture what was going on inside of Sanji in that exact moment. He could still read him like a book, and he hated the fact that Sanji had the same power over him.

Silently he walked over to him, leaned his back against the balustrade and searched for the right words to say. He didn’t want to give him any idea that they could in whatever way be companions again and he better chose his words wisely since Sanji had the ability to find a loophole in basically everything.

“Can you believe how careless he is? The doc said his liver has taken quite some damage from all the drinking. He’s got meds to take but he doesn’t stop!” Sanji burst out without looking up, he could sense Zoro’s presence. “I thought things would be better when I come back... but we’ve only been fighting the last few days. I mean more than we used to. I know I’ve done a lot of shit but... can you imagine what it’s like to come back home after five years to everyone hating on you? I wanted to fix everything and get on good terms with everyone again but I’m not granted one single chance!”

“That surprises you? You almost ruined your father’s business before you left, don’t you think that takes more than a simple ‘I’m sorry’? You seriously didn’t expect time to do miracles, did you?” The green-haired teacher shook his head over the cook’s words. “You weren’t here anymore when everyone had to clean up after you. I mean... what were you even thinking? Hiding drugs in your father’s restaurant! They had to close down the restaurant for weeks ‘cause of the police investigations. It took them months to rebuild their reputation and get their patrons back - ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!”

The blond flinched at his loud voice but didn’t look up. What could he say anyway, he had disappointed everyone and almost caused them all to lose their jobs. He had risked to ruin his father’s dream, his whole existence even because he wanted to maintain his own reputation among his ‘friends’. And now with the way he was treating the intern, he was doing the same mistake all over again. No wonder everyone was avoiding him.

“Finally grow up and take responsibility for your actions. Maybe then people will respect you again,” Zoro added in a much calmer voice.

“That’s so easy for you to say. Life’s always been much gentler on you than me. And losing you was like losing my anchor...,” Sanji whispered.

Zoro turned to look at him in shock. “You didn’t lose me, you got rid of me. And I doubt that my life has been better than yours. How dare you even compare your pansy shit with... with...” He slammed his fist into the balustrade and covered his face in his palm; he didn’t want to remember.

“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate...” Seeing his old friend’s reaction made Sanji feel bad for what he’d just said, he didn’t mean to bring that topic up. He wished he could just take him into his arms and chase those memories away, like he had had back in that night. But he wished for so many things to be like then and none of them would happen any time soon, or ever. “You can punch me if that makes you feel better,” he offered instead, turning his gaze away again.

With a small chuckle, Zoro shook his head. “Oh you don’t know how much I want to. But I’m not like that anymore and besides have to get back to work.”

“Tell your student I’m sorry for my wrong behavior, it won’t happen again, I promise.” Sanji looked back at him, their eyes meeting for a second. Why couldn’t things be like they used to? “See you around, I guess.”

The teacher shrugged his shoulder as he walked towards the door; he still didn’t want to see the other man ever again.

+++

By the time Zoro was back at school, it was break time which meant the corridors would be crowded with noisy teenagers. After that encounter with Sanji and most of all having to see his face, he was really not in the mood to deal with any of his students before the afternoon classes. Until then he would hide away in the staff room and do some paperwork that had been piling up on his desk lately.

Thanks to the nice weather outside the corridors weren’t as crammed as he had expected, most of the students were outside enjoying the warmth and the sun. What great opportunity to have P.E. on the field outside later, he could make them run rounds and hopefully let them go home earlier today. With that plan on his mind he felt a little better and could even muster a smile when he turned around the next corner.

He approached the door of the staff room quickly so no one would notice him and engage him into a conversation. Some of the other teachers were quite talkative during breaks, unlike him who used the free-of-students-time usually to recover and relax from everyone. Mostly he gave into them, just to be nice and keep the comfortable atmosphere but today he just wanted to hide behind his notebook and glare at everyone who dared to interrupt his privacy.

Finally inside the staff room, he dropped his bag onto his chair and left for the little kitchenette in the corner to fix himself a cup of coffee. The day was only halfway through and he was already craving to lie down in his bed for a good night’s sleep but even if he could take off, there would still be a ton of things to do at home. With Ace working late most of the days, all the chores around the house were his duty since Luffy was incapable of doing them. Thankfully they had a sweet neighbor who would sometimes jump in and help him cleaning, without her he would definitely be lost.

“You’re back.” The voice of his boss sounded from behind him and he turned around in shock, that woman was as elegant and quiet as a cat. She wore an apologetic smile on her thin rosy lips, her raven hair was tied back loosely and she was dressed in tight black jeans and a white cardigan. Her beauty was so overwhelming that even Zoro couldn’t help but stare at her whenever she came into his vision. “I’m sorry for surprising you.”

“Oh, Robin, it’s you,” he blushed in embarrassment. “It’s okay, I was just... deep in thoughts.”

“Because of Chopper’s internship? How did it go?” She opened the cupboard, pulled out a mug with a nice nostalgic imprint of a black cat and filled it up with coffee.

“Not perfect but better than expected. Chopper won’t have to work with their sous-chef again, I guess that fixes the problem.” Sipping on his coffee, Zoro turned around and leaned his back against the counter.

“You don’t seem happy though,” Robin remarked, “What happened?”

“That sous-chef and I have a little bit of... history. I don’t really want to talk about it.” Zoro knew his boss and friend would find out eventually anyway but he wasn’t in the mental state to relive his past again, not now. “Hey, can I release my students early today? It’s perfect weather for a run outside.”

“Sure, that’s fine. Oh, by the way,” she added, “You’ll have to teach the seniors, too. Mr. Dampton called in sick again and I figured some workout wouldn’t do them harm.”

Zoro stared at her wide-eyed. Teaching the seniors meant he would have to watch over Luffy’s class as well. It was already too much to have to deal with him at home.  “You really are the devil.”

Robin smirked at him with a wink, “I’m giving you a chance here to work him out so much that he will be even too tired to eat. And you can have some privacy with your boyfriend.”

“Not sure that’ll work out. Besides, Ace has to work tonight.” Zoro sighed at that thought, sometimes he couldn’t deal with his boyfriend’s working schedule.

“Is it still that musical in the town hall? Isn’t he getting bored of doing the same thing every night?” Robin frowned and took a sip from her coffee. She’d always been wondering what could be so appealing about a job as pyrotechnician, sure it’s all about fire and explosion but Ace worked in the event industry and mostly for local theater plays or musical.

“Nope, he enjoys making things explode too much. And that’s fine for me as long as he doesn’t bring his work home,” Zoro smirked.

“I agree on that! I suppose he’s considerate enough to keep it at his workplace,” Robin chuckled, imagining how Luffy would be all over the idea of trying out fireworks in their house.

“He is, I just wonder what happened to Luffy that he’s so far from being considerate or reasonable at all. It’s beyond me how they’ve made it through life until now.” Zoro shook his head and sipped on his coffee.

“Who knows. What matters is they got you now to take care of them.”

+++

Sounds of meat sizzling in hot oil, knives scraping over wooden boards, cutting valuable ingredients into comfortable pieces, shouts and laughter echoing across the room through the thick steam of a busy kitchen. As familiar as it was, as much he felt disconnected to this scenery. It felt as if he had once belonged here, which he had, but while he was gone everyone else had moved on into a different direction. Shouldn’t have been a surprise, he figured, and still he had kind of hoped that the world had stopped and waited for him to catch on.

But that, much like everything else in his life, was wishful thinking. Though, he couldn’t stop wishing for so many things.

“What the hell should that be! I wanted onion RINGS and not shreds!” Carne’s agitated voice broke through the thick steam clouding Sanji’s mind, pointing out the undeniable mistake he hadn’t noticed. “Have you been listening to a single word, brat? Geez, you’re a catastrophe to the kitchen!”

Out of reflex, Sanji wanted to shoot back with equal measure but what could he say? He hadn’t been focusing on his work since the conversation with Zoro and was in fact slowing down the other cooks’ workflow. Not wanting to lose this argument completely, he spat out, “Then do your shit alone!” and left without a second glance.

What was just wrong? He couldn’t remember the last time he had failed at completing such an easy task. Even when he was in his deepest thoughts, he was able to do his work as perfectly as usual. What was just wrong with him, keeping him so out of touch with his skill? With his passion, at some point? Something was drawing his attention away from his work to a degree he couldn’t fight it with routine.

Stepping outside, the blonde cook lit a cigarette, allowing his mind to wander off once more. He couldn’t help but feel out of touch, to his beloved work, his home and his family, and to some extent, even himself. His time abroad had been supposed to improve his stand in the restaurant instead it had thrown him back miles behind the others. And who was he, without his job? It defined him, it shaped him, and yet, he wasn’t even able to focus on the simplest tasks.

There was something inside of him that seemed unsettled, incomplete, and was vehemently trying to get his attention. Some other task that was of higher importance than anything else, that he needed to accomplish in time. But he somehow knew, felt, how his attempts would be fruitless, and still he couldn’t deny the urge to try and fulfill his task. Get rid of the parasite that was bugging him and interfering with his concentration, with himself.

The longer he let himself dwell on that feeling, that urge, the more his thoughts slowed down and created another thought that seemed to connect to the uncomfortable feeling. _Zoro_. Everything, as he tried and tried and tried to turn it over and over, guided him back to this single but strong thought of Zoro. He was the cause for this feeling, for this feeling of wanting to get back what had been lost and was denied. He was the one Sanji couldn’t help but think about since their last conversation, and their goodbye seemed so unsettling that he couldn’t concentrate on anything else unless he finished that beforehand. There was so much to say, so much he needed to express to his old friend, that was growing dangerously in size inside of him, threatening to crush his organs if he didn’t let it out _in time_.

Sanji needed to talk, he needed to cleanse his soul in front of Zoro and say his apologies. He needed- no he had to fix their friendship or whatever could be saved, if that idiot wanted or not.

Deciding that he wasn’t in need here anymore, Sanji grabbed his jacket and keys. He needed to get Zoro back.

+++

“Found it!”

“Finally,” Zoro mumbled to himself, sighed and brushed through his hair. He was sitting at his desk, working on homework and preparations for the classes tomorrow and found himself focusing more on remaining calm rather than on his work.

Even though the teenager had obviously succeeded in finding his textbook, the noise didn’t subside. There were sounds of heavy objects being dropped and desks moved, leaving the high school teacher to wonder what on Earth could be going on upstairs. Since silence was in need, he decided to take look at the mess that was apparently being made on the first floor and bring it to an end. He usually tried to be tolerant, to ignore the hyperactive, inconsiderate behavior of his younger housemate, though sometimes that was too hard and other times it was downright impossible.

“Luffy! The fuck are you doing?” he shouted upon entering the teenager’s room through the wide opened door and couldn’t believe his eyes at the scenery in front of him. Books, papers and magazines spread across the floor, boxes and drawers turned over, emptied of their contents, and rounded up by the large bookcase hovering over the bed. “Are you insane?”

“What, I was looking for my book like you said!” Luffy frowned at him, standing in the middle of the chaos with his arms folded before his chest, “I just looked _every_ where. And now I’m putting everything back into place.”

Zoro sighed deeply, rubbing over his face with his palm and tried to keep his temper low. “When I told you to look everywhere, I didn’t mean that you should turn everything upside down!”

“How could I know what defines your meaning ‘everywhere’”, the raven-haired boy mumbled, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

It was this childish manner, this sort of disrespectful behavior that usually made him boiling with anger. Fortunately though, he could calm himself in time and said before leaving, “Alright, just… get this chaos sorted out _quietly_ and have Makino do the rest tomorrow.” He hated laying such tasks upon their lovely neighbor but Luffy would probably turn the rest of the house into a mess by cleaning up his own room. And at least Makino was able to talk some sense into the stubborn teenager.

Shaking his head over the younger man again, Zoro turned on his heel to leave for the stairs, in the hopes of resuming and finally finishing his work. He had already given up on the idea of going to bed before midnight today, with this disturbance and way too long and exhausting dinner, he had already lost about two hours of worthful working. Nothing new, to be honest, but he never stopped hoping that one day, it might change for the better. Though the event that he was just leaving made this wish seem even more far-fetched than he already knew it was.

“Oi, Zoro, there’s a car standing outside…” Luffy suddenly noticed, now standing by his window gazing outside onto their street.

“So?” The teacher halted in the doorway, waiting for the younger man to continue, hopefully with some more interesting information.

“It’s parked right in front of our house… and there’s some guy getting out,” Luffy frowned, pulling the curtain away to have a better view. After a moment of just observing, waiting for the strange man to act, he concluded, “He just stands there and looks at our house.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in some fictional town in the US, basically right now. I hope that I changed their age differences doesn't hurt the story, it was just easier to make use to the characters that way.   
> There'll be a few more flash-backs in the following chapters that will explain the whole background story of the main characters. I hope that for now, it's not too confusing. (Any feedback is appreciated, as long as it's put into friendly words :3)
> 
> Oh, in case you're wondering why Chopper's internship isn't in a hospital - he's was too insecure to accept a job with such high responsibility, although he'd prefer that of course. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed reading and stay tuned for the next chapters!


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